Plum Bonsai Exhibition @ Nagahama city

Have you ever seen a BONSAI?  I think you’ve probably seen an old pine tree planted in a shallow porcelain pot, for example. "Bonsai" is the art of growing trees in small pots to look like mature, fully-grown trees. And this is a unique Japanese culture that has developed since Heian period over 1000 years ago, though the origin was in China.

In Nagahama City located in the northern region of Shiga Prefecture, the Bonsai using Plum tree have been popular since at least 70 years ago, I suppose.

I visited Nagahama Plum Bonsai Exhibition for the first time the other day. This exhibition currently held will be open every day until March 10th.

If you are coming here from Kyoto, Osaka area, it takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes from JR Kyoto Station to JR Nagahama Station by a Special Rapid Service via Maibara Station. The venue is right next to Nagahama Station in several minutes walk. 

To get back to what we were saying earlier, some old bonsai trees have been passed down for about 400 years.

It is said that there are about 300 pots of Plum Bonsai here. If the plum trees still in the farm are included, there seem to be over 2000 plum trees.

About 90 pots of the Plum bonsai will be always displayed during the exhibition depending on their blooming stages according to its website. 

I think Bonsai looks great in a Japanese room in which a calligraphy frame and a gold screen are placed like this. This plum bonsai named ”Jinjyu” is said to be about 150 years old.  By the way, this calligraphy was written in 1887.

This is another bonsai placed in the 'Tokonoma'.
'Tokonoma' is an alcove in a traditional Japanese room where the art or flowers is displayed.

This is the arrangement based on the image of a hinadan (a platform for dolls) for the Hinamatsuri (Doll’s Day on March 3rd.).

I think this Plum bonsai has a very mystical ambience.

This plum bonsai is characterized by double flowered, hanging down branches.　Its name is "Seirei", and is probably 40 years old tree despite the small size.

 

If you take an interest in plum bonsai, various small plum bonsai with buds are sold at the shop near the exit. 

(Photos were taken on February 6th.)